Sampling device



Nov. 9, 1943. J, P VOLLRATH 2,333,964

SAMPLING DEVICE Original Filed Nov. 7. 1941 JNVENTOR. JOSEPH P. VO LLRATH AT TO EY.

Patented Nov. 9, 1943 SAMPLING DEVICE Joseph P. Vollrath, Glenside, Pa., assignor to The Brown Instrument Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application November 7, 1941, Serial No.

Divided and this application September 23, 1942, Serial No. 459,381

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to testing equipment and more particularly to a method and apparatus whereby a sample of paper may be removed from any portion of a sheet or web as it is being formed. This sample is then tested for its moisture content.

In checking the moisture content of paper it is customary to take a sample of the paper as it is received and weigh it. This gives the wet weight. The paper is then heated to drive ofif the moisture until it is bone dry, and reweighed. With the wet and dry weight its moisture content in percent of weight can readily be computed.

Obtaining an accurate moisture check on paper as it comes ofi a dryer particularl when the dryer is in operation is one of the most difficult procedures in a paper mill. Under adverse conditions the moisture in a sheet of paper may change as much as two percent within a minute. Therefore the utmost speed must be used in taking the sample and placing it in an air-tight sample drying can. It is because of the rapidly changing moisture content of paper and because of the speed that is necessary in handling the sample and getting it into the sample can that samples are generally taken at the edge of the web, where conditions are not indicative of conditions at the center of the web. Another difficulty is that unless the greatest care is exer cised the web is liable to be broken since a fast traveling web of paper is readily torn.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus by which a sample of paper may be taken from any place across the width of a web of paper as it is being formed. This apparatus consists of a device provided with a pair of cutting edges that are spaced apart a distance equal to the desired width of the sample to be taken. The device is provided with a handle whereby it may conveniently be held against the web while the sample is being taken.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of rapidly taking samples of a web of paper from any point across the width of the web as it is moving through a paper making or using machine. This method insures that the sample will be taken from the web and enclosed in its drying container in an absolute minimum of time, and that the web will not be broken as the sample is being taken.

It is a further object of the invention to take a sample of a moving web of paper with a novel cutting device that was specifically designed for this purpose. By the use of the new cutting device a method of taking a paper sample has been devised in which a sample may be obtained from any point of a moving web in the least possible time and without any danger of breaking the web 1 The present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial Number 418,185, which was filed November 7, 1941. That application relates more particularly to taking a sam.- ple of a traveling web, while-the present application relates more particularly to the device by which this sample of web may be taken.

The various features of novelty which char-. acterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification, for a better understanding of the invention, however, its advantages and specific objects obtained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in-which is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention:

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of cutting tool, a

Fig. 2 is a partial view taken from the right of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a side view of another form of cutting tool,

Fig. 5 is a View taken from the left of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a view showing th manner in which a sample of paper is taken.

Referring first to Figures 1, '2 and 3 of the drawing there is shown one form of cutting device by which a sample of paper may be taken. This device is provided with asupportin plate ll upon which a handle I2 is mounted in any suitable'fashion. The plate I I is elongated and is provided with a series of holes l3 and two series of smaller holes 14 which are located opposite the'holes I3. Two paper engaging members H3 or sliders are adapted to be fastened to this plate at a point along the plate I I depending upon the width of the samplethat it is desired to obtain. To this end each of the sliders IE,

only one of. which is shown, is provided with a pair of pins I5 that project upwardly from the top thereof and are received by the openings 14 in the plate H. In this way the sliders are definitely located in the plate and they may be fastened in position by means of 'a screw. or other ing web of paper there will be no roughness or corners to injure the paper.

As is bestseen in Fig. l, the front end oi each slider, or the left end in that figure is deeper than the. rear end so that a cuttingmember 20 which is fastened to one side of each slider will extend therefrom to present a triangular shaped blade. into the leading edge of theslid'er and the rear end of the cutting blade extends from the slider so that a, shearing effect will be obtained-as the cutting device is placed against the web. The sliders it are cut as shown at 18 and receive a reinforcing portion 19 which is provided along the upper edge of each of the cutting members. A plate 21, generally slmilar'ln shape to the slider I, is pressed against the outer face of the cut tingmember as shown in Fig. 2 and the plate and cutting member are fastened to the slider by a screw 22 or other suitable means. The construction insures that the entire cutting device will 1 be held rigid and insures that there will-be no relativemovement between the various parts. By removing the screw 11 the sliders may be moved toward or away from each other in' order that samples of different widths may- 'be obtained. This is an advantage in some cases since with different types of P p r different width samples are often desired in order to facilitate the testing thereof. In most cases, however, a standard width of sample of approximately two inches is satisfactory and to this end the sliders are gen orally fastened to the plate i i in m n fashion that the cutting members are approximately two inches apart.

In view of the fact that a standard width strip of paper for the sample is generally accepted there is disclosed in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive another type of cutting device in which the cutting members are not adjustable with respect to each other. This cutting device comprises a supporting plate 25 that is curved upwardly in the front at 26 and upwardly in the rear at 21 to provide a smooth paper engaging surface. A handle 28 is suitably attached to the front 8nd 26.

The sides of the supportingplate areprovided with projections 29 that are bent. upwardly as best shown in Fig. Each of these'pmbcflmis is so shaped that when a cutting member an is fastened thereon the front end of member will merge into the fronbporti-(li of the lower surfaoe of this support assoen from the side. To

this end the'pr iections are generally triangular in sh p when viewed in elevation. in this em bodiment of the invention the portion 19 of a cutting member 2' is laic'l' along the top edge of the prolecti'on I and fastened to this position by means of a screw it that extends through a plate member 30 and a cut ting member intothe projection. In Fig. '7 there'is shown a plurality of rolls 82 that may form part of a paper dryer and over which a paper web 3345 passing toward the right. when it is desired to take a sample of the paper; a cutting device which may take one of the forms above described is so held against the moving web that its front end is facing in the direction from which the web is coming and the cutting members are parallel with the web edge. The cutting members 20 therefore make two slits in the web as shown at 34 in Figure 1. The portion of the web joining these two slits is knocked out and the resulting Lu-113i of paper cm be fed immediately to awaiting sample can.

When enough paper has been obtained for the sample the cutting device is slowly moved toward the edge 'of the web as shown at 35 until the edge of the web has been reached. It must be rememband that the cutting device is held at the same The front part of this 'tl'iinsle mem position along the path of the web and is moved laterally thereof. The web moving past the cut-' ting device willproduce the sample strip.

As the sample is being taken a drying can is held below the cutting device so that the strip of paper may be fed directly into the can while it is being formed. In this manner the sample can immediately'be sealed with a minimmn of handling and before its moisture content can change appreciably. The cutting device may be placed at any point along me'width of the web where it is desired to takethe sampleand-whensufiicient paper has been'obtuned the be closed. The remainder of the" m1! iscarded as the cutting is moved the edge of the web 'to finish mt'iihe-sia'lp. Dn'taking a sample of paper in the mm above described the tension of the woo is neverremovod and no tears or snags are made in the edgo'of web that can start a break. 'Tbeweb on each side of the sample is passed on through the-mas, chine just as if nothing had happened to it; It is noted that paper sample large enough for test purposes may be obtained and enclnsedin a drying can in from dzglit to twelve depending upon the speed of the meme, mg

the method and cutting deviceabove described.-

While in accordance the provision of the statutes, I'have MM and demmthe best form of this invention new mom tw ne;

it would be'apparemt to those Merlin sham that changes may be modem-the 3mm of the apparatus disclosed without deputmgn-mn the spirit of this invention as setinrfli in pended claims, and thatm smne liestures of this inverrtirm may snmetimesbe pm to advantage without 9. em'responriinguse brother features.

Having now described this claim as. new and deshe to Patent is: o i

1. A sample cutting device comprising a support having a smooth surface adam to engage inventim, what I secure by. Letters a web of paper, said surface having a cur-oedleading edge, upstanding portions on said simport laterally spaced from each other. a pair of cutting members each having an eld .cillitilm' edge, meansto fasten one of said mtiringmmfilu's to each of said portionsw-ith the coming a pair .ofcutting members each having a cutting edge, means to rigidly fasten a cutting mire-r that are turned upwardly, said projections being so formed that the front thereof extends above said surface a greater amount than the rear thereof, a pair of cutting members each having an elongated cutting edge, means to attach one of said members to each projection with said cutting edge being flush with said surface at the front thereof and extending progressively larger distances below said surface toward the rear thereof, and a handle attached to said body memher.

4. A sample cutting device comprising a support having a flat surface, said support having a side face extending upwardly from said surface, the upper edge of said face being at an angle to said surface, a cutting member having a shoulder formed thereon and a cutting edge parallel to said shoulder, means to attach said cutting member to said support with the shoulder on said cutting member engaging the upper edge of said face to definitely position said cutting member relative to said face whereby said cutting member edge extends a progressively increasing distance beyond said surface because of the angle of said edge relative to said surface.

JOSEPH P. VOLLRATH. 

